The United Nations First Committee, the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) is made up of all member nations to the UN. This committee is tasked with discussing all disarmament and security issues under the UN Charter, as well as disarmament and security issues related to any other body within the UN. The First Committee is tasked with ensuring that all disarmament treaties are successfully followed as well as maintaining peace in the world.

The Social, Humanitarian & Cultural committee (SOCHUM) is the Third Committee of the General Assembly. In terms of the United Nations, the Third Committee is utilized for discussions on social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that currently impact people all over the world. SOCHUM constantly collaborates with other bodies within the UN to address the myriad of issues that fall within its jurisdiction. Delegates must find a balance between prioritizing the interests that pertain to the individual country that they will be representing, versus the concerns of the committee as a whole.

The United Nations Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly (also known as the Special Political and Decolonization Committee or SPECPOL) was established in 1993, and takes its mandate from Article XI of the United Charter, which commits to the preservation of the rights and dignities of those living in non-self-governing territories, as well as General Assembly Resolution 47/233, which established it as the body to discuss issues the First Committee (DISEC) was not equipped to handle, such as self-determination and international security concerns. Per this mandate, SPECPOL, which includes all 193 member states of the United Nations, focuses on a broader scope than other committees, and balances its attention between pressing short term issues such as peacekeeping, decolonization, and self-determination efforts and more long term attention towards ameliorating the lasting impact of colonial impact. As a General Assembly committee, SPECPOL does not have the power to intervene militarily in any conflict, but can make recommendations to the Security Council, as well as focusing on broader peacekeeping and support initiatives.

The Sixth Committee is the primary forum for the consideration of legal questions in the General Assembly. The committee has universal membership and all of the United Nations Member States are entitled to representation. The Legal Committee is the Sixth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly and meets annually, looking at international law, international trade law, and treaties. The committee will be discussing these issues, with a specific viewpoint towards cyber espionage and airstrike regulations, artificial intelligence, and the emergence of international regulation in these arenas.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is a global environmental body that attempts to provide recommendations, both policy and community, concerning environmental development, preservation, and protection. They are based in Nairobi, Kenya, but have a great global reach. Their current projects range from monitoring glacial melting and promoting gender equality, to studying river basins in the DRC. Their mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations, which is what delegates will be tasked with in this committee.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) “is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.” The fundamental part of its mission is to contribute to sustainable development worldwide. They support procurement, infrastructure and project management efforts in different countries throughout the world and have over 30 years of experience providing innovative ideas on sustainability and development.

The Non-Aligned Movement is a meeting of more than 100 countries, all coming together to discuss the most pressing issues of the time, in this case, Pluralized Communication and the Right to Self-Determination. The movement that began during the Cold War as a coalition of countries that protested the bipolar dynamic the international community had established under the separate American and Soviet umbrellas, has become a forum where developing countries can develop policy to navigate this mercurial and increasingly globalized world.

The US Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress which, along with the House of Representatives, composes the legislative branch of the United States Government. With two senators hailing for each of the 48 states, the Senate has several unique powers of advice and consent. The Senate approves government budgets, ratifies treaties, and performs confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, and other federal offices. It is also responsible for conducting impeachment trials for members of the House.

Tasked with producing two issues of the NAIMUN Daily, Press Corps is not a traditional committee. Press Corps is responsible for the role of a global journalistic body, reporting on various topics from different committees throughout the conference. As reporters, each individual will be held to high journalistic and professional standards to bridge the gap between those in power and the public. Being in Press Corps is fast paced and demanding, but you will soon learn that the role of a journalist is essential.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that promotes public health around the world. Its priorities range from communicable to noncommunicable diseases, from nutrition to occupational health, and more. In the global health system, the WHO considers its role to be providing leadership, engaging partners, shaping the research agenda, disseminating valuable knowledge, and monitoring health, among other goals. More broadly, it seeks to aid with the impact of disease, not just biomedically, but also economically and socially.

Consecrated with the responsibilities of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear technology and impeding this technology's use for the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is a body of 168 member states that works closely with the United Nations, but is autonomous of it. We will be simulating the IAEA’s 35-member Board of Governors, focussing on the Agency’s most pressing issues: the safe expansion of nuclear power in developing nations, the improvement of oversight in developed nations, and the extension of IAEA anti-proliferation operations – with a special eye towards conflict-prone nations, rogue states, and the smuggling of fissile materials.

The Lok Sabha House of the People is the Lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament. Elected members serve for five years and work to represent their respective constituencies. This chamber will likely be discussing issues pertinent to India’s security, such as the Kashmir region, as well as issues pertinent to India’s ability to succeed in the world, such as India’s growing inequality between the rich and poor.

The UN Economic and Social Council brings people and issues together to promote collective action for a sustainable world. The body conducts cutting-edge analysis, agrees on global norms and advocates for progress. The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. The Peace of Westphalia 1648 summit is an opportunity to approach and reconcile the significant divisions that exist across Europe. It is the responsibility of this committee to reach collective, comprehensive solutions to disagreements over territory, sovereignty, balance of power, and other critical impediments to European peace.

The International Maritime Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that regulates the safety, security and environmental standards of international shipping industry. Its main goal is to develop a set of universal frameworks for the shipping industry. It covers all aspects of the shipping industry such as ship design, construction, equipment and disposal of materials. Regulating the shipping industry is extremely important as shipping currently constitutes eighty percent of all global trade and is the most cost-effective option for international transport. This committee will be discussing affordable and sustainable transport as well as piracy and armed robbery.

The Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit brings together 34 states from Asia and the Middle East to discuss topics within its 6 pillars of cooperation. These states bring about fruitful and crucial regional discussion from their country’s experiences as well as from the respective international organizations of which they are members. This particular session of the committee will focus on developing solutions for food insecurity and the globalization of vaccines.

The Coalition of Parties for NO contains Chilean political parties and civil society organizations that played a major in campaigning for a no vote in the chilean national plebiscite of 1988. Member organization are task which creating a creative campaign and if victorious a forming a new chilean government. The committee will likely be discussing Human rights, Campaign issues, the role of mass media in politics, chilean history. Delegates are expected to balance the interests of the delegation that they will be representing, versus the interests of the committee as a whole. **This is a bilingual committee.**

The International Police Organization, or INTERPOL, is a coalition of police organizations which works to help better fight crime around the world. The organization meets to discuss and fight ongoing criminal operations around the world, believing that cooperation is much better than fighting alone. Their goal is to better aid police forces by providing advice, technological support, intelligence, with the ultimate goal of bringing about justice in the world.

The Summit of the Maori, 1860, will be an informal council of Chieftains of various hapu from across the North Island of modern-day New Zealand, called together to confront the growing threat of colonial British encroachment on Maori lands. Delegates will discuss the future of colonialism, the significance of violations of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, and the possibility of war against the British. Ultimately, through individual and committee-wide delegate action, the committee will determine the future of New Zealand and of the Maori people.

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU), headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was a historical precursor to the modern day African Union (AU) which existed from May 25th 1963 - July 9th 2002. The OAU was dedicated to humanitarian aims such as eradication of colonialism and white majority rule, defense of the sovereignty and independence of African nations, improvement of living standards and maintenance of peace. OAU addressed many important issues in modern African history such as the post-colonialism wave, the Rwanda Genocide, the dispute over Western Sahara and the end of apartheid in South Africa.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) was established by the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation. ISESCO includes 53 member states, spread across Africa, the Arab world, and Asia. Centered in Rabat, Morocco, ISESCO has three rotating capitals, one in each of the regions. Educational pursuits range from elementary education to adult education, and attempts to mitigate unemployment and foster peaceful coexistence. Aims within science include both modernizing scientific education and sustainable development. Lastly, cultural projects focus on both cultural diversity and the issue of women, youth, and childhood. This year, the committee will be focusing on advancing education to mitigate economic frustration and the protection of water to prevent famines, suffering, and violent conflicts.

The Economic Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) was established to aid the economic development and health of Latin American and Caribbean nations. 45 member-states include nations in those areas as well as much of the NATO alliance and are supplemented by 13 associate members. This committee will likely discuss the urgent and ongoing crisis in Venezuela. While a multifaceted calamity, this committee by virtue of its function will focus on ways to address Venezuela’s economic plight.

As the foremost international body endowed with maintaining international peace and security, in 2018 the Security Council faces the most pressing challenges to the global order – international terrorism, violations of international law, nuclear proliferation, as well as a rapidly expanding international humanitarian crisis. The Security Council’s five permanent members – the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China exercise an enormous amount of influence on the world stage, and the rotating ten non-permanent members provide additional weight to the Security Council’s decisions. The five permanent members can veto any resolution, and thus the Council must achieve consensus before it can take serious action – making cooperation vital among delegates.

This committee will convene in 1947 in response to William Wilkerson’s article in the Hollywood Reporter that identified ten individuals in the entertainment community with supposed ties to communist activity and the impending investigation by the House Un-American Affairs Committee (HUAC). Set in the backdrop of post-World War II America, Americans are more suspicious than ever of communism as the Cold War rivalry with the Soviet Union begins to heat up. As delegates, you will represent various professionals in the entertainment industry including executives of major companies as well as representatives of screen actors and writer’s guilds. In this Ad-Hoc meeting, your loyalties will be tested as growing pressure from Congress mounts to identify members of your community with ties to communist activity. It will be up to you whether to sell out your colleagues, truthfully or not, or to resist the government’s pursuit.

The Monsanto Board of Directors (1985) is going to be a faced-paced committee covering a variety of issues. The mid-1980's was a period of fast growth and heavy controversy for the entire field of biotechnology, and Monsanto consistently found itself at the center of heated debate. While the immediate goal of the board will be to deal with the crisis surrounding patent theft, the directors will also have to deal with developments in agricultural technology, the fallout of the use of Agent Orange, humanitarian concerns, international trade deals, and more.

This meeting will be comprised of members of the Starbucks corporate board, its regional directors and key stakeholders. During the committee, we will explore the challenges and successes that the Starbucks board has encountered since the launch of its Initial Public Offering in 1992. These challenges range from leadership transitions to global expansion strategies and acquisitions, and the successes encompass the world-renowned corporate culture and sense of corporate-social responsibility that Starbucks has developed over the last two decades.

This committee will be the spring session of the Supreme Court of the United States. This session, you will be considering three real cases chosen from the docket to be considered by the Supreme Court during the 2018 spring session and will be tasked with presenting arguments, discussing, and ultimately issuing opinions on each case. Each member of this committee plays a key role, whether that be as a justice, a lawyer, or a representative of a special interest involved in a case. While these roles will be assigned ahead of time, they will rotate throughout the duration of the committee and each delegate will have acted at least as a justice and a lawyer.

The United States economy has not faced such a major economic downturn since the Great Depression - and worse, the rest of the world is involved as global collapse seems inevitable. Unemployment is skyrocketing, stocks are plummeting, and foreclosure is rampant. The American economy is desperately in need of saving and you must step up to the plate. As if fixing the domestic economy is not a large enough task, the American public also holds Wall Street responsible for the crisis. This committee will primarily focus on dealing with the immediate effects of the 2008 Financial Crisis, with a special focus on the burst of the housing bubble followed by the fatal liquidity crisis and corruption of large financial institutions.
**This committee will be discussing heavily economic subjects, and thus delegates with an educational background in economics or finance would be recommended, but not required.**

On December 9th, 2016, South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment vote passed through the National Assembly, officially beginning the process of her impeachment. As the ministers of Park’s government, this committee must deal with all the challenges facing the country and it’s interim President Hwang Kyo-ahn as they steer the country through internal struggle and strife. Until the impeachment is upheld by the Constitutional Court, this committee will deal with everything from national dissent to international scrutiny, with the ultimate goal of defending and securing the country that they love. Either they will succeed at maintaining the strength of the country, or they will be thrown into chaos.

In 1903, Panama is in transition. The United States and Colombia have reached an agreement on a lease for construction of a canal on the isthmus, however just weeks ago, President Roosevelt recognized this group of ministers under Jose Domingo de Obaldia as the de facto government of Panama. Still struggling to free itself from Colombia and grappling with questions surrounding continued U.S. influence in the state-building process, Panama faces many questions at what will become the beginning of its history. Ultimately, this committee will determine how Panama will balance or reject outright foreign influence in the birth of its new government, affecting the future of Panama forever.

In 1838, the experiment for African recolonization began with the foundation of the Commonwealth of Liberia– five loosely connected colonies all started by American colonization societies on the western edge of Africa. By 1841, the small enclave of American settlement in Africa had gone completely broke, and in 1847, the first Americo-Liberian governor, J. J. Roberts, was forced to declare official independence and begin governing over the remaining 3000 settlers. Roberts’ newly established administration will have to cope with relations with the indigenous King Peter, growing potential for an endemic plague, and the desires of many to build better lives in this “New World”. How this committee approaches all of these problems has the potential either to change the face of Africa and create opportunity for thousands or to lead to the failure of this experiment in freedom.

Alexander the Great’s Cabinet of 334 BCE is a collection of his most trusted advisors during a turning point in the Macedonian Empire. With Persia’s rule in Central Asia weakening, the vast Achaemenid Empire lies ripe for the conquest just over the horizon. As Alexander and his advisors expand Macedonian hegemony across the world, they must deal with the foundation of an empire through effective administration. Ultimately, this committee will decide if they prosper and thrive or if the task is too large for Alexander the Great and Macedon to handle.

This committee takes place at the twilight of Japan's feudal society and will explore how the final Japanese shogunate reacts to sudden threats to the longstanding feudal order. As a group of Tokugawa Iesada’s most trusted advisors, this committee will discuss fundamental changes in the Tokugawa social structure, increasing exposure to foreign influences, and the problems inherent in forcing changes upon a society in its 22nd decade of isolationism. By navigating the complex and unique Japanese political environment and making crucial decisions on all avenues of debate, delegates will seek to uphold the shogunate and fight against the drive to bring Japan into a bold new era of change.

The year is 1985, and the Soviet Union is at a critical juncture. After being plagued with two years of volatility in Party leadership resulting from the untimely deaths of Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko, the Politburo has elected the healthy, ambitious, and relatively young Mikhail Gorbachev to lead. This Politburo will be tasked primarily with restructuring the economy in order to bring the Soviet Union out of recession and keep up with the United States. Other than these economic concerns, there are issues regarding nuclear technology, national defense, food and clothing shortages, army presences in Eastern Europe and Afghanistan, and corruption within the Party. This committee will have to respond to crises and adapt to changing circumstances if the Soviet Union is to survive these pivotal years, or else it will face certain dissolution.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Lebanon faced a host of internal and external struggles, many centered around the tumultuous and complex conflict that was the Lebanese Civil War. In the middle of this conflict, Rafik Hariri rose to prominence, skilled at balancing the powerful force that Hezbollah held in the country with the occupation from its neighbor Syria and the consistent threat of Israeli invasion. This cabinet, as Hariri’s ministers and trusted advisors, must determine the future of this balancing act with the new threat of America’s war on terrorism while attempting to rebuild the country economically and create a future for Lebanon, lest they fall prey to foreign influence and control or revolution.

This organ, the United Kingdom National Security Apparatus (UKNSA), will include committees representing various organizations that were responsible for safeguarding Great Britain’s security in 1918. Set directly after the end of the Great War, delegates in this organ will likely face both internal and external crises, including but not limited to unrest in Ireland, the rise of communism in Great Britain, the United Kingdom’s place in the international system, growing discontent in the British colonies, and the needs for systemic domestic reform. Delegates from the United Kingdom’s Cabinet, Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), and the British Secret Intelligence Service (BSIS) will be able to communicate between committees, while actions taken by the Irish Republican Army will be able to affect events in the other committees (though delegates will not be able to communicate outside of their committee). Finally, the British House of Commons will work along a similar timeline to create and pass legislation related to the topics covered by the rest of the organ, but will not have crisis elements.

For a more in depth explanation of this coordinated crisis organ, please see this attached explanation here.

British House of Commons (BHOC)

The British House of Commons (BHOC) is the legislative branch of the British government, and forms the lower house of the British Parliament. This committee, set in 1918, will likely discuss changes in the international system following the Great War, threats to the British Empire, and domestic reform. While this committee is part of the United Kingdom National Security Apparatus, it will not be run as a crisis committee nor will it have any significant communication with other committees or delegates in the organ.

The Cabinet of the United Kingdom contains the ministers of the King of Britain, and plays a key role in advising the Prime Minister and crafting policy. Members of the Cabinet are appointed by monarch, and serve at the monarch’s pleasure (generally until the government of the party they belong to lose an election). This crisis committee, set in 1918, will likely discuss the post-Great War world that the United Kingdom finds itself in, and the changing realities (domestically and internationally) that confront it.

The British Secret Intelligence Service (BSIS) is the organization tasked with providing foreign intelligence to the British government. Delegates on this committee will represent various members of the British intelligence community. This crisis committee, set in 1918, will likely debate rising discontent in British colonies and other overseas territories, the rising menace of the Soviet Union and communism, and threats from other terrorist organizations based in Europe.

The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) is the police force tasked with maintaining law and order in Ireland. Members of this committee will be officers in the RIC from different regions of Ireland, as well as those with more specialized missions. This crisis committee, set in 1918, will likely discuss efforts to maintain peace in Ireland in the face of increased unrest, sectarian violence, and political activism.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a political organization in Ireland that uses political activism and acts of violence to advocate for the independence of all of Ireland. Delegates on this committee will represent various members of the IRA. This crisis committee, set in 1918, will likely debate ways in which to achieve Irish independence. While this committee will take place during the same period as the rest of the organ does, members of the committee will not have the ability to interact with members of other committees in the organ.